Sagebrush Corp. has announced the release of PatronPorter for Spectrum,
a program that converts existing patron data so it can be imported into
Winnebago Spectrum. Sagebrush has also announced the release of UCheck,
a new self-checkout program.

PatronPorter for Spectrum

"We currently offer PatronPorter for our Athena program," said Gail
Mazure, PatronPorter product manager, "so we're excited to offer this time-saving
program for Spectrum users as well. PatronPorter reduces the amount of
time librarians spend entering new students into the library database because
it makes it easy to import existing patron records into Spectrum. It transforms
the hassle of managing new patron records into a fast and convenient process."

PatronPorter converts patron record files from existing databases, such
as school administration, food service, and transportation systems, into
a Spectrum-compatible file that can be directly imported. Duplication of
patron records is eliminated and the library database is kept current and
consistent with up-to-date patron information. PatronPorter settings are
customizable, so specific portions of the existing patron records can be
selected for import.

UCheck

According to the announcement, UCheck integrates seamlessly with Sagebrush's
award-winning Athena and Winnebago Spectrum automation programs.

"Checking out materials to patrons can be a time-consuming task," said
Mazure. "But [it] doesn't have to be. Using UCheck, librarians can successfully
and conveniently let patrons check out their own materials from the library,
so the library staff has more time for other library tasks. It makes checkout
management fast and easy."

UCheck's flexibility allows library staff to choose how patrons check
out materials using a variety of methods. The program also works with an
optional SLIP printer so patrons can receive a receipt after an item is
checked out.

UCheck comes with an administration component that lets library staff
set up the program, including the method that patrons use to check out
materials. Passwords can be defined to safeguard against unauthorized personnel
altering the setup configuration. Library staff can place restrictions
for those patrons who are not allowed to check out their own materials.
If a patron with restrictions attempts to check out an item using UCheck,
a blocking message is displayed indicating that the checkout process cannot
proceed. Plus, library staff can create, preview, and print UCheck status
reports.